The present invention relates to a method for stabilizing timbers. It also relates to a system for implementing this method. By timber is meant, in this case, wood intended for use in the secondary timber processing sectors, in particular for industry, building, joinery, or for urban, industrial, public and domestic external and internal construction.
Passing wood through a flame to heat it to its ignition limit in order to render it rot-proof, and even impervious to attack by its natural predators, is an age-old practice. It is in order to homogenize these effects on much larger quantities of wood that research is being carried out into the heating of wood.
The stabilization methods currently being developed all have their characteristics. There can in particular be mentioned the high-temperature wood-treatment method disclosed in the document FR 2757097. This treatment method utilizes a generation of gaseous treatment flows introduced into the kiln for treating the load of wood.
With current methods it is too often difficult to achieve the objective which is to raise the temperature such that it is homogeneous as far as the core of a mass of wood, to the point of making this wood stable and rot-proof without any added chemical agent. This temperature point is approximately 230° C. It is essential that it is reached and maintained with no risk to the load or to the system, given that the timber's self-ignition temperature is approximately 120/160° C.
The purpose of the present invention is to propose a method for stabilizing timber, which provides guarantees of safety and treatment in complete harmony with the environment and ecology.